Marriage

Introduction

Published29th November 2014

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Chapter
8
: Post-Reformation Changes

For Catholics, after the Council of Trent, the necessity for a priest was introduced to the proceedings, but divorce was still impossible. For Protestants, a priest or minister was not required. Although divorce and remarriage were introduced for Protestants in Scotland, this was not the case in England. Protestants in both countries reduced the levels of prohibited degrees within which you could not marry.

In Scotland, among the upper classes, there seemed to be much less stigma attached to a woman living with a man outside marriage than in England. James IV had numerous mistresses, who were unmarried daughters of his nobles: Margaret Drummond, Marion Boyd, and Janet Kennedy were all noblewomen. Janet Kennedy had previously been the mistress of the Earl of Angus. James V even considered marrying one of his plethora of mistresses, Margaret Erskine.